Apparatus for molding articles from material in slurry form



Sept. 1, 1959 E. MUEHLECK ETAL APPARATUS FOR Momma ARTICLES FROM MATERIAL IN SLURRY FORM 6 Sheets-Shet 1 Filed June 18, 1953 wvz/vroks W 6.1 5P 1. An )fimmm q Sept. 1, 1959 E. MUEHLECK ETAL 2,90 ,8

' APPARATUS FOR MOLDING ARTICLES FROM MATERIAL IN SLURRY FORM Filed June 18, 1953 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOKS fi i 1 Mar L l W Sept. 1, 1959 E. M'UEHLECK ETAL 2,901,308

APPARATUS FOR MOLDING ARTICLES FROM MATERIAL IN SLURRY FORM- Filed June 1a. 1953 s Sheets-Sheet 4 EFL Sept. 1, 1 959 E. MUEHLECK ET AL 0 APPARATUS-FOR MOLDING ARTICLES FROM MATERIAL IN SLURRY FORM Filed June 18, 1953 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Sept. 1, 1959 v E. MUEHLECK ET AL 2,

APPARATUSMFOR MOLDING ARTICLES FROM MATERIAL IN SLURRY FORM Filed June 18. 1953 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 United States Patent APPARATUS FOR MOLDING ARTICLES FROM MATERIAL IN SLURRY FORM Ernest Muehleck, Hon-sham, Harmon C. Kinney, Ambler, and Ralph L. Lanz, Jr., Worcester, Pa., assignors to Keasbey & Mattison Company, Ambler, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application June 18, 1953, Serial No. 362,436 '5 Claims. (Cl. 25-121) This invention relates to molding of articles from material in slurry form, and is especially adaptable to the molding of insulating blocks or other shapes from a heat settable slurry of the general kind represented by the calcium silicate type of admixtures which are used for the formation of low density heat insulating blocks and other shapes.

Materials of the generallkind referred to just above are described in copending application Serial No. 104,128,

filed July 11, 1949, and issued August 23, 1955, as Patent No. 2,716,070, and assigned to the assignee of the present application. Briefly, such materials essentially consist of calcium hydroxide, siliceous material, and asbestos fibres, the ingredients being prepared in aqueous slurry form, placed in molds and then cured under high temperature and pressure, to thereby form low density thermal insulation blocks or the like therefrom.

Although the asbestos fibres serve as reinforcement to the articles molded in this way, the articles are relatively frangible and subject to breakage. In view of this, breakage tends to occur in the molding and handling of the pieces, especially when'removing the cured or set articles from the molds.

One ofthe principal objects of the invention is the provision of an apparatus providing for the molding of blocksand the like from such'materials in a manner 7 greatly minimizing damage to and breakage of the articles.

The invention,"moreover, accomplishes theforegoing while making provision for use of multiple molds, so as to produce a plurality of blocks or pieces in each molding operation. H

In accordance with the preferred arrangement of the "equipment, a mold structure is provided, in the form of a cluding cleaning of the mold parts, assembly thereof, filling the mold cavities, vibrating the charged mold assembly, autoclaving the charged molds, separating certain of the moldparts, separating the formed blocks, and returning the mold parts to the cleaning and assembly station.

As explained more fully hereinafter, this system provides for convenient and efficient handling of the molding equipment, provides for the molding of accurately shaped pieces, and minimizes loss due to damage of the molded articles. How the foregoing and other objects and advantages are attained will appearmore fully from the following description referring tothe accompanying drawings, in 1' hr t i 3:- ;,Figures la and lb, considered together, illustrate in Side elevation and somewhat diagrammatically, all of the grid elements -19 lying in stages of the operation, and also show in outline a number of pieces of the equipment employed;

Figure 2'is a plan diagram of a layout of a system including all of the operationsand major components of the equipment diagrammed in Figures la and lb;

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale as compared with Figure 1, illustrating a mold charging or filling mechanism;

Figure 4 is a partial plan and partialhorizontal sectional view of a mold assembly constructed according to the present invention, this view being taken as indicated by the line 44 on Figure 5;

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view of the mold assembly, taken substantially as indicated by the line 5-5 on Figure 4;

v Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view of the mold assembly taken as indicated by the'line 6-6 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is an elevational view of mold parts shown in Figure 6, this view being taken from the right in Figure 6v and illustrating certain parts of the mold assembly part-way separated;- it

- Figure 8 is a detail fragmentary sectional view of a portion of the mold assembly with a clamping mechanism applied thereto for holding certain parts of the assembly together; i

Figure 9 is a fragmentary elevational view taken from the right of Figure 8; 1

Figure 10 is an elevational view of mechanism employed for separating molded blocks or the like from a mold grid assembly-which forms a partof the molding equipment; and 1 Figures 11 to 14;inclusive are fragmentary views of certain parts shown in Figure 10, in different positions of adjustment occurring during the operation of separating the molded articles from the grid assembly.

Although various features of the invention are applicable to the molding of pieces or articles of a variety of shapes, certain aspects of the invention are especially applicable to the molding of blocks or slabs and therefore block molding. equipment is illustrated in the drawin'gs andisdesc'ribtad' hereinafter for purposes ofillustration. Thermal insulating blocks of this kind are advantageouslybf elongated slab shape, for example 36" long, 6" wide and 2 thick. A mold for forming blocks of this kind is shown in Figures 4 to 7 inclusive. In generalthis mold is of the pan-cast type, being arranged to provide a multiplicity of upwardly .open mold cavities adaptedto be charged ,With the slurry through the top openingsof the cavities. v

The principal structural parts of the mold comprise a pan'or tray indicated generally by'- the letter T and an assembly of grid elements indicated generally by the letter G, which grid assembly is insertable in and removable from the tray T as is indicated in Figure 7.

The tray and the grid assembly are rectangular in plan pattern and the plandimensions-of the grid assembly are somewhat less than those of the tray so that when the grid assembly is placed in the tray, some free space is provided around the tray, for purposes which will be described.

The tray and grid parts .are desirably made of metal, for instance sheet or plate steel, and the tray includes a bottom. plate 15 and pairs of opposed upright side walls l d- 16 and 1717. At the corners of the tray upwardly extending apertured lugs '18 are provided for cooperation with-lift or hoist mechanism for handling thettray.

The grid assembly includes a .plurality of partition or parallel vertical planes and initerspaced by means of spacer blocks 20, the assembly :of grids and blocksbeing-secured together by tie rods 21. Angle members.22"extend along the ends of the grid elements 19 near the upper edges thereof. These hereinafter.

serve for reinforcement of the grid assembly and also serve as tracks for support of the grid assembly on rollers described hereinafter. Apertured lugs 23 are arranged toward the ends of theahgie"meni-bers "22 and s rve as a means for handliiig"fthe gridfa'sse'rribly,as by iiieans of 'aho'ist. The grid assembly is adapted 'to be lowered 'into the 'tray'in 'the manner illustrated in Figure 7, and

inclined 'guide's 24 secured to thefiupri'ght tray walls '16 serve toiposition th grid ssembly with respect to the tray as the assembly is being "low red into *the'tr'ay. A

plate 25 is provided in the tray adjacent one of the up- "rightfwalls17, which platemay either b'efseparate from the tray structure or fastened therein. This plate has grooves 26 (see Figures t and 7 adapted re receive and position the ends of the gi'id elements 19. As'iiiiiand separately -renievab1e p1ate'27 is arranged at "the oppositeeifrds "of tl1eg1'"'idelei:rl'e'r 1ts"1-9 also being grooved to receive and position the endsbf' tlie g'riil 'ele- 'ments. This removab1e-plate27 is 'ad'apt'edfto be seated tightly againstthe grid elements by=means orscrew aek e vices 28 which react between 'thefpla-teand 'the fadja- *"centupright wallf17'bfthe tray.

In this way the gfi-d str'ucture is pssiuohe'd an rastened in the tray, with the lower edges'er the 'grid ele- -"ni ents adjacent 'the"bot tor'n wall '"ofj'the tray and with some 'free space surrounding 'the gr'id assenibly on several -sides thereof, as indicated "inFi gur'e '4 at 29; 30%1'111 '31. The purpose of this space will be described more fully With the foregoing description ofthe mold assembly in mind, attention is now "directed to'th'e method or system contemplated in the -use of the mold 'fstructure.

-"In"describin g"the method,"refereiiceis first'made to the illustration of Figures 1a, lb and FigureZ, wherein the -principa1station and operations are indicated by'brackets, with'reference numerals applied theretogb'eginnihgwitll 38+ delivery station for separated blocks The'several operations preferably carried out at and between the above {listed =stations are as follows:

At station 32 the mold parts; especially the gridassembly G and tray T are cleaned and assembled in the manner which will be fullyapti'arentffrbm the above "description of Figures "410 7 inclusive. fIn addition to cleaning, 'the 'giidassemblyandat least the inside of the bottom wall 'ofithe tray are de's irablycoated with' aparting and lubricatihg'compound, for instance'a solution in "a petroleumsolvent of paraifin havin'g "powdered 'mica dispersed therein, together witha gellinga'gen-t, suchas aluminum "stearate; parts, the grid is advantageously dippdin a""bath of the coating compound; "and 'the compound is desirably For purposes of coating the mold painted upon the inside of the bottom wall of the tray.

As the mold partsar'e of cohsiderablewveight, they are advantageously 'handledby means of hoists, such as diagrammatically indicated at 39, adaptedtotravel on overhead tracks such as diagrammatically indicated at 40.

Upon cleahing, preparation and assembly, the assembled tmoldi'structure is placed"upon a roller ball type of table indicated "at"41 in "Figure 121. From therethe assembly is "advancedonto "the top i'finbf anendless conveyor 42 to. b'e' 'carii'ed by the conveyor t'o'the'filling "station 33, intbiprop'erregistering position withsthe'mold filling equipment Whichis ilffdicajterl""in general "inF igures wand-'2 bywthe letter'F, and'whic'h" is alsolshownin'F igure 3.

The details of construction of the mold filling equipment need not be considered herein as they form no part of the present invention per se, being described and claimed in copending application of Clyde R. Hutchcroft, Willard R. Seipt and Robert A. Schneider, Serial No.

instanceon upright guide'posts 47. Thetrou ghs 45 'and 46 are also elongated to extend substantially throughout the length offthe individual mold cavities between the grid elementsjl9. When viewed in transverse section, as in Figure 3, the l'ower'tr'oug'h' 46 terminates downwardly in a funnel shaped opening of width prov in g 'for loading of mold cavities individually, the funnel opening being, or course, elongated to extend throughout the length'of the cavities. I

During thefilling operation, 'the mold assembly is "advanced uhd'er'the filling mechanism 'F step-by-s'tep and each'mold cavity is successively filled'with an appropriate charge ofthe slurryto bemblded. Thefilling operation is accomplished in arnanner' providing fibre orientation lengthwise ofJthe mold'cavities. The way'in which this orientation is achieved need notbe considered herein, but is fully described in the copnding application Serial 362,454, filed June 18, 1953, abovefreferr ed to. After the charging of the mol d cavities, -t he free spaces 29, 30 and 31 (seespecially Figures 2, 4 and 8) are filled with water as indicated at W, thereby preventing any substantial leakage of slurry under the grid elements 19 or under the removable endplate 27 into saidfree spaces. This serves another purpose related to the subsequent separation of the mold partsyin the manner referred to hereinafter. 1 v I Clamping mechanism such as'generally' indicated at C in Figures la, 8and9 are alsoappliedso as'to tightly hold the grid assembly imposition in the tray during the following vibrating operation, which occurs at station 34. The details of this'clamping mechanismneed not be consideredherein,'-as'they form-no 'partof the present inventi'onper se, 'but'it' may here be mentioned that they are desirablydisplaceable-or-removable so aslto'facilitate subsequent separation of the grid assembly from the tray structure. The use'of 'the clampsis only'contemplated during the vibrating operation and'the'clamps are therefore removed immediately following that'operation.

Station"34 in elfe'ctconstitutesa vibrating table, for instance a tablehaving a vertical throw of a fraction of an' inch, the effect of which ist'o eliminate airpockets from the slurry in the mold cavities, "without, however, appreciably disturbing the previously established fibre orientation lengthwise 'of' the mold cavities. Upon completion of the vibrating operation, in 'addlti'on' to removing the clamps, the chargesin the-several mold cavities are preferably leveled, ad'dingi'additional slur'ry tbfindividual cavities, if needed inorder't'o bring the'toplevel' ofthe charges infall of'the ca'v'ities 'to about thesar'r'iewertical point.

'The charged molds'ar'ehow stacked on suitable carts, such'asindicated diagrammaticallyat 48and a plurality 'of loaded carts may be run 'into'an autoclave, represented by'station 35. In theautoclave the charged -r'riolds are subjected to heat and pressure, for instance to'a temperatureoffrom about 3 3'8 Ffto about 370f'FQ and a pressurebf from'abour'l O0-poun'ds toabout pounds per square inch gage of saturated steam. This autoclaving is continued sufiiciently to set or cure the material being molded, for instance from about 2 to about 20 hours, after which the pressure and temperature in the autoclave are reduced and the molds taken out.

It is important to keep in mind that during the autoclaving', the metal parts of the mold assemblies expand because ofthe elevation of -temperature, thereby slightly enlarging the mold cavities. The setting or curing operation thus'occurs while the mold'cavities are somewhat enlarged. Upon cooling, the metal parts of the mold assembly'a'gain contract, in consequence of which the mold cavity surfaces tightly engage the molded blocks. The separation of the molded articles from the mold structure therefore represents a special problem, and particularly so in view of the relatively frangible nature of the articles being formed.

Duringthe autoclaving, the water W in the free spaces 29, 30 and 31 lying between the grid assembly and the upright walls of the tray is evaporated, and since these free spaces do not contain cured or set slurry, the grid assembly may now be separated from the tray without ditliculty. This separation is accomplished at station 36, by lifting the grid structure out of they tray, after release of the screw jacks 28 (see Figure 4). The trays may then be returned to the initial station 32 as by an overhead traveling hoist, for instance in the path indicated by the arrow 49 in Figure 2. The grid assembly, with the molded blocks still retained therebetween is placed upon the top run of a conveyor indicated diagrammatically at 50, being placed on the conveyor with the grid elements 19 extended lengthwise of the conveyor and laterally positioned as by stationary guides 51. Conveyor 50 carries the grid assembly, together with the blocks between the elements thereof to station 37, comprising mechanism for separating the blocks, which mechanism is indicated in general in Figure 1b by the letter S. This mechanism is also shown in greater detail in Figures to 14, inclusive, now to be described.

The block separating mechanism includes a stationary frame structure through which the conveyor 50 travels, the details of which frame structure need not be described herein. Within the stationary frame structure is a vertically movable frame 52 which may be raised and lowered by suitable mechanism (not shown) adapted to be connected with the movable frame, as by a loop or eye 53.

This movable frame carries pairs of rollers 54 and 55 positioned to engage under the channel members 22 of the grid assembly so as to provide for lifting of the grid assembly with the frame 52. The rollers 55 are mounted by means of pivoted brackets so that these rollers may be swung upwardly out of the path of an entering grid assembly, for instance to the position indicated at 55a in Figure 10.

The vertically movable frame also carries a plurality of bars 56, somewhat in the nature of stripper elements, each one of which is adapted to engage the top su rface of a molded block in one of the mold cavities between adjacent grid elements 19 of the grid assembly. The bars 56 are vertically movable as a unit with respect to the stationary framing. Scissors linkages 57 are provide for this purpose, the linkages being actuable to raise and lower the set of bars 56 as by links 58. The details of these parts need not be considered herein, but it may be mentioned that a manually operable lever 59 is provided to give the operator appropriate control over the vertical position of the bars 56 with respect to the stationary movable framing.

Stop devices 60 limit the downward movement of the frame 52. Another position of the frame 52, slightly above the lowermost position, is determined by displaceable stop devices 61 which are shiftable into and out of operating position by means of a manually operable lever 62.

The sequence of operations effected by this block separating mechanism is illustrated in Figures 10 to 14 inelusive. After the conveyor brings a grid assembly, such as indicated at G in Figure 10 into position for block separation, the stripper bars 56 are brought downwardly to the upper surface of the blocks in the individual mold cavities, this condition being indicated in Figure 11. The frame 52 is then raised, as a result of which the pairs of rollers 54 and 55 engage under the'angle'members 22 of the grid assembly and lift the grid assembly while the blocks B are held adjacent to the conveyor 50 by means of the stripper bars 56. This operation is illustrated in Figure 12.

As shown in Figure 13, the stripper; bars 56 are then raised to free the blocks B and the conveyor is operated to carrythe separated blocks toward the final or delivery station 38. As shown in Figure 14, after the blocks B have been carried away, the frame 52 is lowered to the position established by the stops 61 (see Figure 10), in which position the grid assembly is supported by the rollers 54 and 55 at an elevation just above the conveyor 50. The grid'assembly is then moved transversely of the conveyor 50, i.e., in the direction of the arrow 63 in Figure 2., for return of the grid assemblies to the initial station 32. The stops 61 are then displaced by means of the control 62 and the frame 52 again descends to the lowermost position, in preparation for the handling of the next grid assembly.

In connection with the above described operation of separating the formed blocks from between the grid elements 19 of the grid assembly, it is first mentioned that the grid elements advantageously are slightly tapered in thickness, with the thinner-edges presented downwardly. This taper need only be very slight and is therefore not even illustrated in the drawings.

By virtue of the arrangement of the several mold parts it will be observed that provision is made for separating all of the mold walls from the individual mold cavities, except for the side faces of the cavities, i.e., those faces which are formed by the grid elements 19 themselves. The removal of the end walls of the mold cavities prior to displacement of the blocks from between the grid elements is especially advantageous, for the reason that the expansion of the mold cavities during heating in the autoclave, and the subsequent contraction of the cavities during subsequent cooling, is at a maximum in the direction paralleling the long dimension of the cavities. Therefore, preliminary removal of the end walls of the cavities is especially advantageous in avoiding damage to the ends of the blocks when they are ultimately separated.

According to the foregoing, method and apparatus are provided for the multiple molding of insulation blocks,

- with minimum danger of block breakage, notwithstanding use of the method and apparatus with materials such as slurries of calcium silicate.

We claim:

1. Equipment for use in molding blocks from material in slurry form, comprising a tray having a bottom wall and two pairs of parallel opposed side walls, the bottom and side walls together forming a liquid-tight structure, a grid in the tray comprising an assembly of a plurality of parallel grid elements positioned with their lower edges adjacent the bottom wall of the tray and serving to divide the tray space into a plurality of mold cavities, the grid elements being perpendicular to the side walls of one of said pairs and parallel to the side walls of the other of said pairs, the ends of the grid elemenf s adjacent one side wall of said one of said pairs being terminated short of said side wall to provide a free space within the tray between said ends of the grid elements and said side wall of the tray, and a displaceable member in said free space for closing the ends of the mold cavities adjacent said free space, the grid elements of said assembly being interconnected and upwardly removable as a unit from the tray.

2. A construction according to claim 1 in which said other 'of -said pair's of dimension of the grid assembly in the direction tranjsyersethe grid elements is less than the di stance-betyveen the ,side walls of the tray, to provide a freespace between the grid assembly and at least one of the side Walls of said other pair. 4 V

3, A construction aecording to claim 1 and further including a releasable device for holding the displaceable elosure member imposition to close the ends of the m old v ie v v 4. A construction according to claim 1 and further 10 ineluding a guide member mountedlon one of the side walls parallel with 'the grid elements for -relatively positioning the-grid assembly-and the tray as the :grid as- ;sembly loweredinto the tray, said guide member in- -cluding an inclined guiding surface eXtending-downward- 15 -ly;and--in\ vardly offthe tray.

5.'A construction according to claim 1 in which the grid assembly includes a paiirof track elements extending transversely of the'grid elements, one-of said track elements being mounted, to interconnectthe ends-of the 20 grid elementsiadj'acentone side Wall of said-one of said .pairs and the other-track element being mounted to interconnect-the'ends of the grid elements adjacent the other side .Wall of said one of-said pairs.

\Rferences Cit'ed the file of this patent Peders e n l;

-UN'I-IED STATES PATENTS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No 2 90l 808 September I 195.

Ernest Muehleck et a1,

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specificatiox of the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 6 line 75 for "said" read me the column 7 line I strike out -"vother of said pairs of"; line 3 for "the first occurrence read said other of said pairs of Signed and sealed this lst day of November 19600 (SEAL) Attest:

KARL AXLINE ROBERT c. WATSOI I Attesting Oflicer Commissioner of Pate: 

